On 118th Avenue in Edmonton is an abandoned movie theatre. It has been standing unused for at least eight years, when I moved to the area. It is on a large piece of real estate in an area that is central to the city, and I have always wondered why no-one has bought it to redevelop the land. I also wonder who owns it now and why they have been allowed to leave it neither repurposed, demolished, or sold.

The good news is that it has provided a huge canvas for mural artists. Four canvasses, really, if you count all four sides of the building. Whenever I pass, I am always interested to see what new and colourful designs have been added.

A few days ago I walked past for the first time in a long time and was delighted to see these excellent portraits. I recognized the face but couldn’t bring a name to mind, so I checked with my eldest son. When he said “Pam Grier” I knew he was right. They are images of Pam Grier as a young woman, and my memory of her is of her fabulous role in the film Jackie Brown from 1997. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. It’s a Quentin Tarantino movie with some big names in supporting roles.

Pam Grier has been in a lot of other films and TV roles before and since Jackie Brown, and now I am inspired to see if I can find some of them on Netflix.

I could not find the name of the artist on this mural, but I am grateful to them, whoever they are. It is excellent work, and I was pleased to be reminded of the movie and Pam Grier’s feisty confidence.